LAMU ISLAND, KENYA
NOVEMBER 25
ON LAMU ISLAND, SHELA AND LAMU TOWN FEEL LIKE TWO DIFFERENT WORLDS SHARING THE SAME SHORELINE. YOU GET BETWEEN THE TWO BY BOAT, OR ON THE BACK OF A MOTORBIKE. I STAYED A WEEK IN BOTH WHICH WAS PERFECT, AND I FEEL LUCKY TO HAVE FULLY EXPERIENCED STAYING IN BOTH. SHELA APPEARED ON MY RADAR YEARS AGO, WHEN I CAME ACROSS THE PEPONI HOTEL, IT IS FABULOUS AND THE HEARTBEAT OF THE SLEEPY STYLISH COASTAL RETREAT. THERE ARE MANY BEAUTIFUL HOUSES TO STAY IN ALSO, THEIR ORNATE WOODEN DOORS TUCKED AWAY DOWN THE WINDING SIDE STREETS. THE HOUSE I STAYED IN WAS BEAUTIFUL AND VAST, JUST MINUTES FROM ALL OF THE ACTION, UNFORTUNATELY IT CAME WITH A DICTATOR AS A HOUSE MANAGER SO I CANNOT RECOMMEND IT. SHELA HAS A WIDE, WILD AND BEAUTIFULLY EMPTY BEACH THAT STRETCHES FOR 12KM AND IS BACKED BY DUNES. THE INDIAN OCEAN ROLLS IN STEADILY, SOMETIMES CALM AND GLASSY, SOMETIMES ROUGH AND DRAMATIC. OPPOSITE SHELA, JUST FIVE MINUTES BY BOAT, IS MANDA ISLAND. MANDA IS A PERFECT SPOT TO SWIM AND WATCH THE SUNSET, AND HOME TO THE MAJILIS HOTEL WHICH HAS A GREAT SUSHI RESTAURANT. BEHIND MANDA LIES LUSH MANGROVE, A SPOT ALL THE DHOWS SAIL AS THE SUN SETS.
SHELA BEACH IS HOME TO VENDORS SELLING FRUIT, LIKE MY DEAR FRIEND RUBEN BELOW. ASWELL AS FRESHLY CAUGHT FISH, SUCH AS THIS BASKET FULL OF TUNA. AND DONKEYS, LOTS AND LOTS OF DONKEYS.
LAMU TOWN IS MORE HECTIC, A MAZE OF PASSAGEWAYS BARELY WIDE ENOUGH TO PASS, WITH A DARK INDOOR MARKET TUCKED AWAY AT ITS CENTRE. IT WAS INSCRIBED ON THE WORLD HERITAGE LIST IN 2001, IT IS THE OLDEST AND BEST-PRESERVED EXAMPLE OF A SWAHILI SETTLEMENT IN EAST AFRICA. THE HARBOUR IS ALIVE WITH DHOWS COMING AND GOING, FISHERMEN BRINGING IN THEIR CATCH AND MENDING NETS, AND CHILDREN JUMPING INTO THE WATER. CALLS TO PRAYER DRIFT, ALTHOUGH SOME BELLOW, OVER THE ROOFTOPS FIVE TIMES A DAY, ANCHORING THE TOWN IN A RYTHM THAT HAS NOT CHANGED FOR CENTURIES. IT IS BUSY, BEAUTIFUL, AND DEEPLY HUMAN. IT IS NOT POLISHED FOR VISITORS, BUT LIVED IN, LAYERED AND FULL OF CHARACTER. I STAYED IN THE PERFECT HOUSE, MIELE HOUSE BOOKED THROUGH AIRBNB, RESTORED BY URCO SANCHEZ ARCHITECTS WHO ALSO OWN THE BEST HOTEL AND RESTAURANT IN THE TOWN, LAMU HOUSE.
